There are several players in Texas who could be considered physical specimens, the type of player coaches have get off the bus first to set the tone for the night. The top of that list, though, is reserved for one recruit, and one recruit only in the Class of 2027: Cedar Hill five-star DT Jalen Brewster.

At 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, Brewster was able to show off his menacing presence on the national scene at the Under Armour All-America Game as well as the Polynesian Bowl.

"Just showing what I can do in front of everybody, competing against the best of the best. It really is just a blessing because I’ve been wanting to play in it since I was little," Brewster said. "So playing in it now and then watching it back when I was little, it’s really a blessing.”

What makes him truly the stuff of nightmares is that he can flip to the other side of the ball and line up in the backfield as a RUNNING BACK.

For all the dominance he’s shown on the interior defensive line, the position is still relatively new to him. Brewster actually grew up carrying the ball.

“My first year playing defensive line was my sophomore year,” he said. “My first time playing inside was last year. I’ve been playing running back my whole life.”

On the recruiting front, Brewster finds himself at the center of one of the nation’s most closely watched battles.

He has been committed to Texas Tech since Oct. 4, 2025, and has an official visit lined up for June 19th. 

“I would say they develop to get into the NFL," Brewster answered when asked about his commitment to play in Lubbock. "Teaching me how to be a man outside of football and life after football. And the people and their environment.”

But several programs continue to push hard to flip him.

After the announcement that Zarnell Fitch would no longer serve as the defensive line coach in Lubbock, Brewster acknowledged some uncertainty surrounding his commitment. A social media graphic circulated widely after he simply responded “no” when asked if he was 100% committed.

He added context to that moment.

“I was really just saying I’m not fully committed," Brewster explained. "I’m waiting to see how the new (DL) coach is going to do this year, and I’m going based off that. But I’m still committed to Tech. I’m just keeping my options open.”

Brewster responded with “no comment” when asked which other programs should be watched closely in his recruitment, though schools like Ohio State, Oregon, and Miami (FL) football are among the most commonly mentioned contenders.

“The same ones that’s been in there,” Brewster said.

The DCTX five-star said that reigning national champion Indiana was the out-of-state school recruiting him the hardest at the moment, and he has some unique ties to Bloomington as his father, Robert Brewster, played with Indiana DC Bryant Haines at Ball State. 

SMU could provide Brewster with a local option, and he made sure to mention the Mustangs when asked about in-state programs making a push.

"That's the heart of Dallas," Brewster said. "[That's just it] Dallas."